The Invisible Boy

source: The Invisible Boy

Trailer—The Invisible Boy

The Invisible Boy

Interesting precursor to "Colossus, the Forbin Project". A child behaves outlandishly after sleep learning seemingly impossible knowledge. He applies his technique first to beating his scientist father at chess in 6 moves and then rebuilding Robby the Robot (of "Forbidden Planet" fame). Any child would enjoy the adventures of this rather naughty boy. Adults not too jaded by current "action movies" should enjoy it too.

Some movie trivia sleuths consider this film to be sort of a "sequel" to Forbidden Planet" (also a Nick Nayfack production). Look for a scene early in the film where the disassembled "Robby" is found in a present-day scientist's store room, with notes indicating the scientist had developed a way of going into the future, where he obtained the robot. Also in this room is a picture that the young boy comments on, showing "Robby" emerging from the Forbidden Planet saucer ship at the "Chicago Spaceport" in the year 2242, inferring that Commander Adams, Altaira, and the rest of the crew made it back to Earth safely after the Krell furnaces caused the explosion of Altair IV at the end of that film.

I've just seen a really nice print of INVISIBLE BOY. It's very much a kids' film with a fairly pedestrian plot, but then I realised that it foreshadowed all those "computer out of control" movies that followed in the 1960s (COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT) and 1970s (DEMON SEED) and even later stuff like TERMINATOR. Also, I loved the scene where Timmy had just rebuilt Robbie and he was taking it around the scientists, obviously looking for a pat on the back, and they just all kind of sniffed and went "oh, you built a robot" like it was nothing. Every kid just has to identify with that experience. Overall, INVISIBLE BOY is an of-its-time but entertaining sf movie. Great to see Robbie the Robot in action after his star turn in FORBIDDEN PLANET. Look carefully for the framed photo on the wall of Robbie emerging from the FP saucer ...

I've seen The Invisible Boy a couple of times and found it excellent. Computers have certainly changed since this was made in 1957. A 10 year old boy, Tim reactivates Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet and gets into all sorts of adventures, best of all being made invisible. Meanwhile, his dad's super computer, built by himself starts acting strangely and plans to rule the world and Robby becomes its slave for a while. At the end, the computer is switched off for good and Robby becomes good again. The special effects in this movie are excellent as is the music score. The cast includes Richard Eyer (The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad) as Tim with Phillip Abbott and Diane Brewster as his parents. The Invisible Boy is a must for any fans of 1950's science fiction. Great fun. Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

Such a strange film. One that doesn't really know which gimmick to run with: the super computer, the borrowed and infamous Robby the robot, invisibility, or space travel. It's a schizophrenic jumble of the time's sci-fi staples, with absurdly weak links. Still, I can't say it was ever dull. One thing that struck me about this picture, was the dry humor involving the Scientist father. He reacts almost casually to his son's sudden intelligence boost and invisibility. It comes off like a satire of the Cleaver-type family, and was a welcome surprise. Give this one a chance if you catch it on Turner Classic Movies one night. But I wouldn't recommend seeking it out for purchase.

I think the most intriguing scene in this whole film is when we find out that Robby the Robot is really SUPPOSED to be the same one constructed by Dr. Edward Morbius on Altair-4 (in the movie Forbidden Planet). Supposedly, at the end of that movie, the United Planets' StarCruiser C-57D returns to earth with Robby the Robot and Altaira Morbius. Somehow, a professor from the 20th century travels forward in time to the 24th century in a time machine, witnesses the landing of the C-57D StarCruiser at Chicago Spaceport, takes a black and white photo of it, then somehow persuades Robby to come back with him to the 20th century. The robot then somehow ends up being dismantled and (in the movie The Invisible Boy) we find him lying in pieces covered with dust on a shelf. The boy Timmie (with the help of computer induced hypnotic instruction) then reassembles Robby. Quite an ingenious plot device, tying the two movies together.